Exploring the Effects of RF-EMF Exposure on Insect Biodiversity, Development, and Fitness

Protecting insect pollinators is a key priority for both science and policy, as these species play a vital role in ecosystem health. ETAIN conducts groundbreaking research to better understand how RF-EMF exposure may affect these critical creatures.

What does ETAIN do?

As the world moves towards 5G and 6G, RF-EMF absorption and penetration in insects are expected to increase due to resonance effects in their small bodies. 

ETAIN uses Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies) to study the long-term effects of RF-EMF exposure on insect behaviour, development, and fitness across multiple generations. Through the development of precise 3D ElectroMagnetic (3D-EM) models, the project quantifies potential changes in RF-EMF exposure and investigates whether (non-)thermal effects occur in insects. Additionally, honey bees, solitary bees, and blue bottle flies are being examined to assess whether RF-EMF exposure affects the growth, development, and overall fitness of pollinators, which are crucial for biodiversity and ecosystem stability.

To determine how much radiation insects actually absorb, our team in ETAIN measures how RF-EMF exposure distributes through an insect’s body and how this absorption varies by species and life stage. This includes an ambitious longitudinal study on insect biodiversity, in which insect trapping is conducted over time in areas with consistent RF-EMF exposure.

One of the key experiments takes place in Greece, where one of our partners Fields at Work, in collaboration with the Ellinikos Georgikos Organismos Dimitra, has set up an infrastructure to study the impact of 5G radiation on bees. The setup includes a control room and an exposure room, each containing three shielded bee colonies. One of the hives is exposed to continuous 5G radiation at levels comparable to mobile phone use, while the others remain shielded. The hives are connected to the outdoors via tubes, allowing bees to forage naturally while ensuring accurate monitoring of their exposure.

Complementing this, ETAIN also operates an outdoor research station featuring a 5G antenna in a rural, low-interference environment. This allows researchers to simulate real-world conditions while controlling for external radiation sources. Insects and pollinators are observed in both exposed and shielded zones, helping to detect possible differences in behaviour, health, or biological markers linked to RF-EMF exposure. The ability to study bee colonies across seasons and generations makes this research especially valuable, offering insights into long-term and cumulative effects. This multi-pronged approach, combining field, lab, and digital modelling, connects theoretical concerns about planetary health with practical, observable impacts on the ecosystems we all depend on.